Hope's Little Crush
by Hope'sFangirl
Summary: Hope and Lightning end up with an early morning patrol shift, the first time they're alone together since Palumpolum. Hope wants to take advantage of that and share his pent up feelings with his idol, but will she feel the same? Hope/Light cheesy fluff and first post attempt to boot!
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my first fanfic posting. Finally, after reading stories for ages, I've finally worked up the gumption to sit down, write a little oneshot and post it. As you might have guessed, I tried Hope/Lightning pairing, as that is my personal fave shipped pairing. (I realize the chance of it becoming official are slim to none, but I can't help it.)**

**I (personally) think there is a bit of a lack of this pairing when it comes to (game) Hope and Light. Don't get me wrong, I love Hope/Light in any form, I just think it's so precious when Hope is younger. That being said, I prefer their relationship to remain as innocent as possible with Hope at that age.**

**This work was inspired by a collection of works including stories by Haikomori and LadyAlaska, as they are the authors of my two favorite Hope/Light stories, but I love many of you other authors too! It was also inspired by a popular sketch on by Chiyoyo on deviantart.  
**

**This particular piece is based on the center/right drawing. Depending on its popularity, I might do a little one-shot for each sketch. And as a final note, please forgive the bad writing, as I chose to type this out in the wee hours of the morning and it's more of a draft at this point. Well, that's enough of me rambling, on to my story :D.**

**Dislaimer: I hope I'm doing this right. I do NOT own any of these characters, the story, the locales, etc. Square Enix does, but I am manipulating them to my will here so….. yeah.**

"Alright, you guys know what time it is." Snow Villiers, the self-proclaimed "hero" of the group held out a fist. " Time to pull for night patrol." Within that fist, Snow held six blades of grass. This was a nightly ritual for the band of l'cie ever since they landed on Pulse, or "Gran Pulse" as Fang and Vanille called it.

" Please be early shift, please be early shift….." Sazh muttered a sort of prayer under his breath as he plucked a blade of grass from Snow's fist. " Alright! Looks like my luck might be taking a turn for the better here!." It did not take a genius to figure out Sazh had plucked one of the longest blades of grass.

Next to pull was Vanille, whose blade was slightly shorter than Sazh's. " Aww nuts! Midnight shift…." Now, while it was agreed that midnight shift was unfortunate to be on, the early morning shift was the worst. It meant waking up early, taking an exhausting patrol before the day, and then moving the rest of the day at half energy. And now that only four straws were left, Hope's chance of pulling just such a shift were becoming greater. Hope hated morning shifts.

Fang snatched a blade out of Snow's grasp before anyone else could react. " Ha, long blade, looks like I'm firs' shift up here. Sleep tight my sweets." Lightning did not like the smug grin the wild woman wore as she strutted away to begin her shift with Sazh. Only three straws were left, only one of which held the salvation of a midnight shift.

" Alright, the only fair way to do this is-" Snow began, but stopped rather abruptly when Lightning's fingers slipped into his fist and quickly withdrew her own blade of grass. Hope and Snow didn't need to see what it was after hearing the scoff from the former sergeant. It was a fifty/fifty chance for either of them now…..

" 'Kay little buddy, are you ready?"

" Mmhm." Hope nodded, ignoring the "little buddy" comment, before taking hold of one the remaining grass slivers.

" Alright, on three. One… two….three!" Hope pulled his blade of grass out just before Snow yanked his hand back. Almost fearfully, the teen looked down at it.

" Hey! Alright! Looks like I'm only on the midnight shift tonight. Tough break little guy. At least you'll have sis to ease your burden!" Snow, rather contented now, stalked off to his tent for some rest before his shift. Hope was left standing at the edge of the fire, looking blankly down at his grass blade. That blade seemed both a blessing and a curse to the boy.

It was a number of hours later that Hope felt someone shaking him gently awake.

" Hope, hey, it's time to get up."

" H-Huh? Wha-?" The teen cracked his eyes open and eventually managed to get them focused. Lightning was crouched over his form, one hand resting on his upper arm.

Hope felt a blush creeping up his neck and face as he realized just how close her face was to his, but that was only because she was whispering to him, trying not to wake the others.

" It's time for our shift."

" Oh, right." Hope pulled himself into a sitting position and gave a yawn and a stretch. " I'm ready." Shortly thereafter, the two set off around the camp.

As usual, the patrol shift was blissfully uneventful. Hope liked it as it gave him time to think, and what he was preparing to do would require a lot of thought, for you see, Hope was attempting to prepare to tell Lightning his true feeling for her.

The shy boy had been nurturing a crush on their fearless leader for quite some time now. His original intentions of following her to become strong, while not completely untrue, also masked a deeper reasoning that, much to his relief, Lightning had never took notice of or questioned. Though at the same time, he had to wonder if she had noticed, and chose to willfully chose to ignore it. Either way, after tonight, she would most definitely know, and there would be no disguising it. Come hell or high water, he would tell her tonight…. if he could just manage to muster up the courage.

After all, Lightning Farron was almost a mythical being to innocent little Hope. As a straight-A student, under the ever watchful eye of his father, Hope had never given much time or thought to interactions between himself and his fellow classmates. He had friends, sure, and he had talked to girls, certainly, but here it was just….. different. Here, he couldn't help but notice his personal idol.

From the get go, even with her rather soft looking lips turned into an angry pout, and her brow furrowed above a cold glare, he was floored by the sheer natural beauty of this woman. Though he never said so, his first encounter with his fellow l'cie was barely more than a blur in his mind. Serah's transformation into a crystal was more of a side note in that instance, and the only image that remained, burned, into his mind was that of a desperate looking Lightning. Granted, he had not known her for very long, but he could only think of one or two other times he had seen her with such a vulnerable look on her face.

Besides her striking beauty, Hope was mesmerized by the flow and grace of her movements, in and out of battle, and the subtle strength behind them. He was awestruck when he first witnessed her, a slender woman, putting Snow on his rear with a single punch. And was even further impressed when he saw her truly fight on the crystallized waters of Lake Bresha, as she flitted in and out and between any hostiles, dealing maiming slashes with deadly accuracy. He knew if he was ever going to accomplish his goals, he would have to find some way to get her to teach him. And so he followed her.

As they traveled together, they had grown on each other. Hope could tell by the way she no longer stomped about whenever he was present. If he began to fall behind, she would slow up her pace just a bit, and when he did well, he could see a ghost of a smile cross her lips as she gave him an approving nod. Each positive gesture from her bolstered his confidence, and (for him at least) blurred the line between mentor/mother figure and love interest just a little more.

The final clinch was in Palumpolum. Hope would never forget that moment, when they were first reunited. He was sure it was over for him, then out of the blue, his hero, his idol, his savior came for him. And after they had finished of the PSI-COM automaton, she had pulled him into that embrace, and told him she would keep him safe. If Hope had to pinpoint one moment he truly fell for the older woman, that was surely it.

And now here they were, together again, and alone for the first time since. Hope had been waiting for just such a moment, the perfect time to tell her how deeply he cared for her, to tell her how much she, and everything she's done, really meant to him. But now that moment was here, ironically, his courage had fled. He was afraid of how she might react, and how it might affect their relationship. He wanted, no, needed her to know how he felt, but would it be worth it, if it meant wrecking what they already had?

" Hope, is something wrong?" Lightning's sultry voice snapped Hope back to the present.

" No! Nothing's wrong, I'm just fine." Hope mentally slapped himself. Forget looking cool in front of the soldier, he could not even seem to compose himself enough to answer a simple question in her presence. To his dismay, Lightning did pick up on his unusually quick answer. With a sigh, she brought her march to a halt and pivoted so she was squared off with the boy.

" Alright, something's definitely wrong. Do you just want to make this easier on both of us and tell me now?" She arched an eyebrow and fixed Hope with one of her famous "looks." Arms crossed, hips cocked to the side, and her back arched and upright, proud and perfect, two words that seemed synonymous with her, and all of it had Hope blushing a bright red. After all, being a teenaged boy, her curves were every bit as alluring and attractive as the rest of her.

" R-Really, it's nothing to worry about Light. We…. should keep moving." Hope tried his best to worm out of this line of questioning before it went too far, but the silly boy had forgotten that affection was a two way street. Lightning too, had grown quite attached to their youngest companion during their time together. While he had learned to read her, she had learned to read his emotions and actions just as well. She knew when something was bothering him, and she was determined to help. Hope was easily her favorite person to be around in their group, and quickly becoming her favorite person to be around in general. And while Lightning might seem cold and aloof on first impressions, anyone who had taken the time, as Hope had, to understand her, truly understand her, they knew that was only part of a much greater and wholly beautiful person. So while her rather blunt approach to intimate matters with those she cared for was sometimes counter-active, she chose to continue operating on her basis of "What Lightning wants, Lightning gets."

Hope's escape attempt was brought up short as a hand wrapped around his wrist. As strange of a thought as it was at that moment, Hope could not help but appreciate and respect the power of that grasp, and the gentleness that it was tempered with. A rather fitting perspective of the grip's owner. Knowing there was no running away now, the boy turned to face the object of his affections. Lightning, in the meanwhile, had knelt down, so that she would be around his eye level.

" Hope, I want you to listen to me. We're partners….. no matter what, we're in this together. So if you're afraid to tell me something, because of how you think I'll react, or what I'll think of you, or anything like that, just know that it's okay." She could tell that she at least glanced the core of this problem, as Hope's eyes flashed to hers and quickly away again. Really, sometimes he simply made it too easy. " There is something you want to tell me, isn't there?" A lengthy pause settled over the duo, and a thoughtful looking Hope slowly confirmed her question with a single nod.

Gently, as though he were something fragile that would break if too much force was used, she lifted his chin so that his deep green eyes met her sharp blue ones. " Tell me." Was all she had to whisper, and Hope could no longer contain himself. The way his face fell, like he had just made some terrible mistake, tugged at her heart, and only caused her anticipation to grow. What could be so terrible, that he would be upset by the mere thought of telling her…. Oh, dear.

" Light, I….. I've been meaning to say this for a long time."

Oh no, it couldn't be…. could it?

" Since we first met, I thought you were, well, amazing to say the least. I've never met a person I was so equally impressed and intimidated by." Hope paused long enough for a nervous chuckle. " You were just so strong, and… beautiful." Again the teen paused, this time a bright blush creeping back into his cheeks. " I knew I had to travel with you, if I was ever going to toughen up, and I did, with your help."

'Just stop talking… please stop now.'

" But you've given me so much more than that. You…. You've shown me more than just survival and brute strength. You've taught me how to push through, and keep fighting, even when things look so bleak. You've taught me as that as long as you have a goal, you have hope… something to fight for. And… you've shown me that having some_one_ to fight for, someone you really care about and maybe even… l-love… can give you the greatest strength of all."

" Hope…."

" You're my best friend Light, but you're also so much more to me than that. You're a mentor, a guardian, a guiding light and I….." Hope's breaths were becoming slightly more labored as he fought to keep his emotions in control. This would be embarrassing enough without him losing it here. " I can't thank you enough for all of that."

'Please… let that be it.' But Lightning knew it wasn't.

" And I… I love you Light. More than anything, I love you. All I want is to share what time I may have left with you."

And there it was. She had wanted to know, pushed him into telling her even. And now it was lain on the table. Hope was in love with her. Her precious, innocent little Hope, who she was so fiercely protective of. Her Hope, who she had so dutifully protected from all that came at them, and yet she couldn't protect him from himself, from his foolish, sweet, but foolish teenage affections. And now she was left with the impossible choice.

Accept this _fourteen_ year olds feelings, and act upon this taboo, or further damage this sweet, naïve boy's already broken heart.

She had thought of it before, after all. Taking Hope for a lover that is. It was a rather impromptu daydream she had entertained over the past week or so. She knew it was wrong, that everyone would only see it as an older woman taking advantage of a vulnerable young boy, and could she truly claim any different? She was after all, twenty-one years of age. Certainly not old by any means, in fact, age wise, she was barely an adult at all! Most twenty-one year olds were out drinking and partying most of their evenings away, engaging in frivolous relations, and acting out what's left of their over-active emotions from the turbulent era of teenage-ism.

But all the same, it was still nowhere near fourteen, and the more she thought about it, the worse it seemed to get. Only four years older than ten! The boy had barely started his freshman year of high school, whereas she could have been a sophomore or junior in college had she had that option. And she remembered people getting all uppity every time the news had spread that a senior was dating a freshman.

"….Light?" Hope's tone was every bit as curious and expectant as his gaze. His eyes seemed to hold equal parts worry, distress, and patience. He was biting his lip, possible steeling himself for the answer he knew would come.

Lightning was sure that answer was the right one.

" Hope… you know I can't" Instantly, the teen's face turned from expectance to hurt and, almost, desperation?

" Light I… please, I know it's odd, I know, but I-" A firm finger pressed to his lips hushed him.

" Hope, it isn't right, and we both know it." Now his eyes were watering up.

" Please, Light," Hope's voice was barely more than a whisper now. " Can't we….. Can't we at least give it a chance? I know I'm young, but-" A simple shake of the head silenced him this time. Hope could not hold back his tears any longer, opting to look down and away instead, to hide them. But that damn woman could not just let it go. She could not just let him grieve and keep some of his dignity intact, could she? Oh no, he felt his chin being lifted once again.

" Hope, I'm sorry. Please understand. I don't want to hurt you." Lightning forced herself to keep looking at his hurt gaze. That gaze that should, by all rights, be full of happiness and blissful ignorance of the troubles of the world. Instead, that gaze was on her, full of more hurt, and more understanding, than it ever should have been.

He knew. He knew it would end like this, that's why he was so hesitant to tell her. As long as it was kept hidden safely inside, it was just a silly teenage crush. It would never have the chance to blossom into something more beautiful, but neither would it ever cause any true harm. He knew it all along, and that only made it worse for them both. The poor boy was now sobbing outright.

At a loss for what to say next, Lightning resorted to the only option left in her mind. She relaxed from her kneeling position onto her legs, and pulled the sobbing teenager into her lap. She wound her arms around him, holding him tightly, and began to softly stroke his hair. She took it as a slight reassurance when his arms moved to wrap around her own middle. The two stayed just like that for a few minutes as Hope composed himself. Once he was ready, he let go of Lightning and moved to a sitting position facing straight back at her.

" I'm sorry. I sort of lost it there…" He could not seem to make himself keep eye contact with her. " I'm gonna head back to camp to check on things." His voice had taken on a flat, forced emotionless tone, and his eyes had a far off stare, with lingering pain.

" Hope, wait…." Lightning had vowed to protect this boy, no, this young man. She had made it her personal responsibility to see him though this, alive and well, and she had been prepared to lay her life down for that purpose in Palumpolum. She would be damned if she was going to let him fall apart now. Maybe she could not give him what he wanted here and now, but perhaps she could give him something to fight for. As corny as it sounded in her mind, perhaps she could give him hope.

" Hope, I can't be with you, not now, and not like this." She took a deep breath and let it out in a whoosh. " You say you love me, more than anything?"

" Everything. I-I just want a chance to show you. A chance to prove it." Some of that light had returned to his eyes. ' Good.'

" I'm giving you that chance. If you love me as much as you say, wait for me."

" I'm…. not sure I follow you Light?"

" If you love me as much as you say you do, and this isn't some silly crush, than four years from now, you should still love me just as much as you do now, then, right? So wait for me. If you can wait for four little years, I promise I'll wait for you too. And then, when the time comes, I'll be yours." It sounded silly as it came out. Like a bargain with a child over picking dessert rather than affairs of the heart or some fairy tale, but when his eyes lit up and a new breath of life seemed to take hold of his withering form, she knew it was right somehow.

" Really? You promise."

" I promise. If you can wait those four years, I'm yours. So, do we have a deal?"

" Y-Yeah! Thank you! Thank you so much for this chance! I swear Light, I'll prove I really do love you, I won't let you down!"

His sincere look brought a genuine smile to Lightning's face, and she leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips, effectively silencing him, causing the deepest blush yet and subduing his new found enthusiasm in one swift moment.

" I believe you." This was one promise she was definitely going to keep.

**So rushed cheesy ending. Was actually a bit longer than I expected. I have not written anything, period, in a year or two now, so I know it's rather choppy and mashed together. I did feel myself getting a teensy bit warmed up again near the end, but I don't know. I may end up coming back and re-writing it if this whole fanfic business becomes a regular thing. If you liked it, great! If you have any tips on how to improve in any way, even better! If you hated it, I guess I tried :D. But for now, I'm gonna try and nab a little sleep. So long and if you made it this far, thank you so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I'm so, so, so sorry this took this long. I know it sounds lame now, but I was planning on taking a week, but instead I'm bordering on the third now. And you guys left me all those kind reviews, ugh, I'm awful.**

**On the upside, due to being stuck in bed for a week of sickness, I've had plenty of time to come up with some ideas for this chapter I'm actually satisfied with. I had meant to keep this as a one-shot, but well, it's not now. But I owe you some replies, don't I?**

**Uruz 11 - Thank you for being my first reviewer! Your kinds words make me feel so warm and fuzzy. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it, and I tried to work a little of your idea into this sequel, so I hope you like this as well!**

**ChainzOfThePast - Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it : )!**

**Keisutra - I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sequel finally here. Fingers crossed you like it.**

**Darkflames and fire - I'm glad you like the story. Thank you for being kind to my writing, and don't worry, I totally understood your compliment xP. I'll continue to work on my writing style, and I'll work on my endings!**

**Vicious Dice - Why thank you! Hope you like this one too.**

**So I tried for something a little more lighthearted this time. Expect a tiny bit of fluff and some lame humor... sorry. XIII-2 is ignored in this, and all the ex-l'cie live in New Bodhum as well. Just a little back story before we get started.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the final fantasy universe….. or a number of things would be different in a lot of the games.**

Hope woke up like any other day. He took care of hygiene like any other day, and he got dressed like any other day. It wasn't until he took a look at his calendar that his tired brain whirred to life. Today was none other than his birthday...

...His eighteenth birthday!

And that only meant one thing. It had been four years since his promise with Lightning. It had been four years of waiting patiently and faithfully. And in those four years, his infatuation with his hero had only grown. He couldn't count the number of dreams he had in which they lived a happy life together. Their own fairy tale ending.

Unfortunately, dreams were rarely reality. He and Lightning had remained very close friends, and had kept up almost daily contact, but sometimes he wondered if she even remembered their deal, or if it was only words meant to consol a child.

No he couldn't think like that! It had been four years, he was a man now, of eighteen years, and Lightning Farron would be his… after breakfast of course.

"Snow, I swear to Etro, if I have to hear you tell that stupid joke one more time, I'm going to make you a Eunuch." Lightning slammed the front door in her brother-in-law's face. The two had been out scouting the area of New Bodhum, an everyday trial of patience for the soldier. Her idea of fun wasn't a daily patrol with Snow and his gang of misfits. Occasionally Sazh or Hope would join them and it was tolerable for a time, but it always came back to this. And lately, the self titled hero had been all about a joke he came up with involving a chocobo, a humbaba and a cactaur. Worse yet, NORA never tired of hearing it, giving Snow all the reason he needed to tell it over, and over, and over….

"Oh, c'mon you two, cant' you come home for one day not fighting?" Serah poked her head out of the kitchen to see her sister stomp by and her husband wander in through the front door. Upon seeing his wife, Snow's smile was back at full power.

"Hey babe, is lunch ready? I'm starving." The giant of a man easily scooped Serah's small frame up into his arms, eliciting a giggle from said woman.

"Yeah? Did you fight a lot of big scary monsters today?"

"You know it! I've gotta keep my darling safe from harm." The pair nuzzled noses.

"You two are ridiculous." Lightning had returned to grab her plate from the counter before flopping down on the couch.

"Just cause you can't find love doesn't mean the rest of the world can't." Snow shot back. Serah on the other hand, remained silent. She knew the truth, that her sister _had_ found love. They were just waiting to share it when the world wouldn't scorn them for it. They all had a hard enough time with being ex-l'cie.

It had taken all of two weeks for the younger sister to figure it all out. She liked to think of herself as a bit of a relationship expert. She had noticed her sister's lack of physical discomfort at contact when it came to the boy as soon as they had awoken form crystal stasis. Snow had even told her that the two had formed a little bond, but she never expected how deep that bond really went. Lightning was just... different around Hope. Soon enough, she was putting two and two together. She was overjoyed that her sister had found someone to share her life with, even if he was a tad young, and being the ever faithful sister, did not tell a soul, not even Snow on this one.

"Alright, alright, that's enough now, seriously. Today's suppose to be a happy day. It's Hope's birthday!"

"Oh yeah! I haven't even wished the little guy a happy b-day. I'll go call him up now!"

"Hehe, alright, I'll come with you. The cake should be close to done now. You want to talk to Hope Lightning?"

"No, I'll see him later, I'm sure."

"Okay, suit yourself." What Serah did not see was the smile on her sister's face as she thought of later that day.

Hope heard the knock and knew who it was before he even got up to answer it. It would be Lightning, Serah, and Snow with a double layered chocolate cake with chocolate icing, same as every year.

"Hey guys, you're here early."

"We knew you didn't have anything goin' on, so we figured we'd pull you out of your books for a bit." Snow clapped the younger man on the shoulder. Of course, a clap to Snow was a wallop to just about everybody else, save for maybe Gadot.

"Hey Hope, we brought your cake. Double chocolate, your favorite."

"Thanks. H-Hey Light."

"Hi Hope. Happy birthday."

"Thanks." Hope and Lightning simply smiled at one another, not moving until Serah gave a small throat clear.

"So, Hope, bring that cake to the kitchen, we can cut it."

"Oh, um, don't we usually wait to-"

"None sense, now get in here." Serah was as good with thinly veiled threats as Lightning was with cold glares. Hope's shoulders slumped as he followed Serah to the kitchen. Serah gave Snow a wink as they passed through the doorway. Their little sign to start setting up.

"So, Hope, you are going to ask her, aren't you?" Serah gave him a sideways glance as she cut the cake into slices.

"I don't know. Do you think she even remembers?" Hope asked sullenly. He had been brooding on his thoughts of whether Lightning remembered their promise or not all day. On his last birthday, he had finally cracked and confided in his closest friend after Lightning... Serah.

"Well of course she does! You don't forget something like that."

"But, she never shows any interest or-or any sign at all that she even registers the fact that I'm of age now."

"Well, that's Light for you, the perfect poker face. C'mon Hope, we've, er, I mean you've been waiting years for this!"

"We've eh?" Hope raised an eyebrow, to which Serah told him to shut it and punched his arm. The cake was cut and placed on a tray and the two were headed back into the dining room. "Wh-What the hell happened here?!" Hope had nearly dropped the cake as they entered the dining room. They must have been in the kitchen for all of ten minutes before they had come back up, and in that time, it seemed Snow had successfully destroyed the room he was suppose to decorate.

Ripped streamers hung limply tacked to the wall, a few chips of paint had come off, and other decorations lay strewn about the table and floor. Snow had a couple of handfuls of streamers he quickly stuffed behind his back as they had entered.

"O-Oh, hey, I didn't expect you guys back so soon."

"We went to cut the cake, not remodel the kitchen." Suddenly a roll of colorful streamer paper flew through the air to peg Snow in the head.

"Hey you buffoon, you were suppose to hold the other end!" Serah and Hope followed the path of the roll back to Lightning, who looked far more decorated than the room was. The mix of the disgruntled look on her face and the multi-color streamers draped about her body was the final straw. Serah and Hope burst out in a fit of laughter, soon joined by Snow. The humor seemed to be lost on Lightning.

Bartholomew and Sazh arrived a bit later, along with the rest of NORA. They had a fun get together, filled with their usual bit of hanging out and party games. Hope had fun with his friends of course, but he really had spent the whole night looking for an opportunity to get Lightning away from everyone else. Sadly his moment never came.

As the night wore on, the party slowly dwindled. NORA and Sazh and Dajh left, and Bartholomew had gone off to bed, leaving the four original party-goers to sit about on the sofa and chat. At this point, Hope had given up all hope of getting Lightning alone at least semi-unnoticed. Finally, with Serah nodding off, Snow decided they were going to head out.

"Well, we should get going. Long walk home and all."

"Snow, it's just down the beach." Lightning rolled her eyes.

"Yeah well, I've got a lady to carry back."

"And what does Serah weigh? Like twenty pounds or so?" Hope joked as he stood to see the last of his guests off.

"Hey, hey... thirty." Snow flashed a grin and a thumbs up before heading off, leaving the dynamic duo in the front doorway to Hope's house.

"So, uh, I guess this is goodnight. Thank you for the cake, and the party and all." The teen did his best to smile, despite his disappointment.

"Well, it is late, and I'm pretty tired.."

"Yeah, yeah you should-"

"So maybe I could crash here tonight?" Lightning, almost shyly if Hope dared to say it, looked up at him.

"Uh, y-yeah. Yeah sure! I'll make up the guest bed." Hope busied himself with preparing the guest room, as Lightning sat nearby, watching him rush to and fro. Eventually, the room was all set up, and Lightning was seated on the edge of her temporary bed. "So, I guess you're good for the night."

"Yes, thank you Hope."

"Okay, I'll just.. .. go off to my room then." Lightning nodded and laid down on the bed. Hope moved to leave the room, but he stopped, hovering in the doorway, looking over the sleeping form of his beloved. It was now, his chance was now! He was alone with Lightning. "Light?"

"Hmm?" Lightning's eyes were open and on him quicker than he thought a sleeping person's eyes could focus, even if that person was Lightning.

"Do you remember, back when we were l'cie?"

"How could I forget something like that?" Lightning remarked. She had pulled herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed again. Hope smiled back, walking over to sit beside her.

"Do you remember our time on Pulse?" Hope looked deep into those beautiful icy blue eyes. That same fire still burned so strongly behind them. "Our night patrols?"

"Of course, I remember morning shifts being awful." The two shared a laugh.

"Yeah, they certainly did." Hope took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to do next. "Well, most of them did. I can recall one that really wasn't so bad. Do you remember it? We shared that shift, four years ago."

"Mm, I recall it."

"Then do you remember," Hope took Lightning's hands in his own. ", our promise, that we made?"

"... I remember." Lightning squeezed Hope's hand in return.

"Well, I still love you. I love you more than ever. I waited four years Light, but y'know, I'd wait forever for you." Hope gave a sort of sad smile.

"I think four years is quite enough, don' you?" And there it was. That absolutely beautiful smile that he lived for. Those rare gems that Hope would give the universe just for one. Hope could not think of anything that could make him love those lips more. It was a good thing Lightning could. She leaned in again, the same as four years ago, but this time it was no simple peck. Four years of passion poured into this kiss.

Lightning wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his slide around her middle and another hand on her back. She raised one of her hands to weave through his silver locks and pull the shy boy deeper into their kiss. As they broke apart, they both collapsed onto the bed, panting.

"W-Wow." Was all that Hope could say. Lightning let out a quiet giggle, causing a blush to spread over the teen's face.

"Was it worth it?" She flashed him another stunning smile.

"Worth every second." They shared another laugh and another kiss or two. " I'm liking this new flirty Light."

"Shut up." Lightning laid her head down on his chest, listening to the soft heart beat within.

Hope pulled Lightning, his Lightning, close as they settle in and drifted off to sleep.

**Boy I just can't seem to get those ending right. I know this chapter isn't as good, but it was written in the wee hours once again, and I'm still feeling a bit under the weather, and I couldn't quite connect with it as well. (Listen to me making all these excuses. I'm full of 'em!). But, it was intended to be a little humorous with a little fluff slapped in here and there. I think I need to just move on to another idea though xP. Well, til I see you next, hopefully with an original idea!**


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